Phases Of The Relationship
by OfficiallyAnAdult
Summary: The sequel to The Not So Many Romances of Megan Hunt! Spoilers for the whole show, and that story! This is basically Peter and Megan's engagement and marriage! Also includes a few OCs and sad stuff! Warning, character death!
1. The Prologue

A/N: So this is the sequel! I know I said I wouldn't write it until much later, but I did anyway!

Disclaimer: I don't own Body of Proof, because if I did, do you really think I'd leave SEASON TWO WITH A CLIFFHANGER?

XoxoX

Chapter One: A Glimpse Into The Future

"Daddy! Daddy!" The four year old yelled as she ran through the front door, dragging her big sister along with her. Her father walked into the room with a coffee cup in one hand. "Welcome back, swee – "

He barely had enough time to put his mug down before he was knocked to the ground by the happy little girl. "Daddy, guess what I saw!"

"Well, you went to the zoo, so I'm guessing you saw," He paused and tapped on his chin as if actually wondering what she may have seen at the zoo. "hmm…animals?"

"Yeeessss!" She said with awe, like he had somehow read her little four year old mind. "There were lions, and a tiger and elephants – "

"Oh, my!" Her mother joked, standing in the doorway.

"Mommy!" The child jumped off of her father's chest and ran to hug her mother's legs. "Guess what I saw!"

"Animals?" The grown-up older sister asked, laughing.

"Yes!" The child answered, and the whole little family joined in laughing, because they were all sure that little Samantha Kate Dunlop was going to grow up to break a lot of boys' hearts one day, just like her mother.

XoxoX

That was just the prologue! Mwahahahaha!


	2. Engagement

A/N: So this is the sequel to The Not So Many Romances of Megan Hunt! I wrote it, even though I said I would wait, you know why? Because I'm amazing and very impatient! You should probably read that story before you read this one, because there are spoilers for it, and a couple of references! This is set a few months after the end of chapter twelve!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof, or Nic Bishop would be in season 3!

XoxoX

Chapter One: Engagement

"That's the last of it." Peter grunted as he dropped the box on his hardwood floor.

"Thank you." Megan said, flashing him a smile as she started to put Peter's books on the shelf.

"Thank _you_ for letting me stay here." Peter returned the smile as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We're getting married, it was going to happen, anyway." She said, chuckling as Peter sucked on her exposed collarbone.

"I know." Megan dropped the books she had been holding and bit her lip as her fiancé moved her hair out of the way to kiss her jawline. "But I just want you to know," Peter's voice was deep and lusty. "how grateful I am."

"Hmm…" Megan turned around and kissed him hard. "How grateful _are_ you?"

"I'd be happy to show you…" And he picked Megan up and carried her into her – actually, _their_ – bedroom.

XoxoX

"No, Peter. We have to go to work." Megan lifted his arm off of her waist and started to get up from the bed. Peter sighed and got up as well. He was going to have to re-adjust to not having sex every morning, as they had been since he moved in. At least, every day that Lacey wasn't there.

"Alright." Megan smiled at him and walked over to her closet, pulling out a dress to change into. But she didn't get a chance before she felt overwhelming waves of nausea flowing through her, and she ran into the bathroom.

"Megs!" Peter followed her and pulled her hair out of her face while she puked. He held it back with one hand and stroked her back with the other, saying soothing words to her. Megan flushed the toilet and wiped out her mouth, trying to rid herself of the disgusting taste left over.

"Are you okay, honey?" Peter held her shoulders gently and walked over to the bed once again. "It's alright." He laid down beside her and held her soothingly. "I'll call us both in sick. I'll stay with you, okay?"

Megan removed herself from his embrace and checked her forehead. Not really a fever. "No, I'll be fine. It may have been something I ate."

"Are you sure?" Peter didn't want her to go to work and end up vomiting all over a witness or anything. "I'm sure Kate'll be fine with it – "

"I'm sure." She got up, picked the dress up off of the floor and started to change.

"Okay…" Peter went to go brush his teeth and hoped Megan wasn't catching anything bad.

But the very next day, just before they sat down for breakfast. Megan emptied her stomach into the kitchen sink, even worse than the day before.

Peter handed her a mint from her purse, then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

"Peter, I'm fine, really – "

"I know you say that, but I want you to stay home today, just to be sure. I'll go to work, bring you something home for lunch, and I'll try to get home early. Okay?"

"Fine…" Megan grumbled, situating herself under the covers, knowing that Peter would not change his mind.

But just after Peter left, she got out of bed. Digging through the bathroom cabinet, she looked for something she hadn't needed in a long time – a pregnancy test.

So after waiting the allotted amount of time, she checked the results. And was shocked, but not surprised, to see the positive on the test.

Megan Hunt was pregnant.

She just sat on her bed and stared at the ceiling until Peter walked in at noon. "Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?" He asked, putting down the bag with her lunch in it on the nightstand.

"Much better." She hugged him and pulled him down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. Megan just tucked her head into the crook of his neck and hooked a leg around his hips. Peter pulled back and looked at her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked, brushing the stray hair from her face.

Megan had been lost in thought. "What? Oh, nothing. I just…missed you." It wasn't a complete lie. She _had_ missed him, but decided not to tell him about this pregnancy just yet. She made herself a mental promise. She would tell him within the next six weeks. That would be far along enough to know that the baby was coming, but not so long as he might get suspicious.

Six weeks.

XoxoX

I hope you liked it! This story will probably have ten chapters, so there you go! I'm still upset about Nic Bishop leaving the show, but I'm starting to get over it… Okay, no I'm not! I love Peter! And Nic Bishop is a complete and total hunk of Australian hotness! I'm hoping he might be mentioned a lot, you know, like Megan feeling guilty about his death (I'm assuming he died in the season 2 finale) and all that.

If you review _a lot_, I might make the story longer, or update faster!


	3. Pregnancy

A/N: You readers are awesome! I love you guys! So, to show you how much I love you, here is another chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof or that sort of thing.

XoxoX

Chapter Two: Pregnancy

It was five weeks later. Peter smiled at Megan as they lay in bed together, Peter with an iPad and Megan with a book. He was startled as Megan let out a sharp gasp and gripped her stomach. Peter dropped what he was doing and turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"Oh my god, no!"

"No, what? Megan, what's going on?" Peter lifted Megan's top up and saw nothing odd with her stomach. He couldn't help but notice that she had put on a little weight, though.

"I need to go to the hospital. Now."

"Okay!" Peter scrambled out of bed, hurried to put on his pants and shoes, then helped Megan out of bed. He was shocked to see the blood that had stained the bed sheets and Megan's shorts. "Oh my god, what – "

"I'll explain later." Megan grabbed some flip-flops from the closet and headed for the car, holding her stomach and walking awkwardly.

XoxoX

_"I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Dunlop." _

The words echoed in her head on the silent car ride home. Megan just stared out the window as the clouds, blocking her view of the stars, poured out buckets of rain that seemed to pour down harder as the truth sank in. A tear ran down Megan's cheek. In the six weeks she had given herself to tell Peter, she had lied to him, to Lacey, had wondered what it would be like once she had the baby.

But Megan Hunt never thought that this would happen.

Peter kept his eyes on the road, but he wasn't focused on driving. All he could think about was that Megan's baby, _his_ baby, was dead. It was even worse to hear Megan tell him about her pregnancy as they sat in a hospital room, only minutes away from learning of the baby's death.

Less than two months as a father, and already suffering the loss of a child.

"I'm sorry." Megan said from beside him. She kept her eyes locked on the window.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Peter asked.

"For lying, not telling you about the baby." A few more tears fell down her face. "I thought I had more time, that I could wait to tell you. I never imagined…" She trailed off, knowing that he understood what she meant.

"Don't be sorry. I understand." Peter tried to sound sincere.

"No, you don't. You just don't." Megan snapped, daring to glare at him for about half of a second. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it only brought more tears to her eyes.

"You know what, you're right. I don't. But whatever I'm feeling right now sure as hell comes close." Peter turned onto their street and slowed the car to a halt in from of their house. Megan started to get out, but Peter pressed the lock button on the car before she could open it.

"Megan, can we just talk about this – "

"No, we can go inside and act like it never happened." Megan tried pressed the unlock button again, but Peter re-locked it once again.

"But it did happen, Megan. You can't just forget that."

"Watch me." She unlocked and opened the door, too fast for Peter to lock it again. Megan stormed into the house and locked herself in the bathroom. But in that silence, she could only think. And those thoughts just led to tears.

She was in the bathroom for forty-five minutes, while Peter just went to bed. He couldn't sleep, as he was thinking as well. But all of his thoughts were about the future, unlike Megan's, which were all about this loss.

He thought about what it would have been like. To have a baby with Megan, to be a father. He was going to be Lacey's stepfather, of course, but that was different. Lacey was so grown up. He loved her, he was sure of that, but it was like adopting Lacey. You love all your children the same, but others, you connect with.

He remembered always being the odd one out in his family, with being the youngest, adopted child. He was loved, cared for and welcome there. But he still wondered what it was like to have his biological parents around, to learn from them.

He would have liked being a dad.

Peter got up from bed and walked over to the bathroom door. He knocked. "Megan? Sweetie, you're going to have to come out eventually."

There was a slight hesitation. But then the door swung open, and Megan stepped out. Her eyes were red and puffy.

Peter hugged her and she continued to cry into his shirt.

"It's okay, honey. I've got you."

"I love you." Megan said to his shirt.

"I love you, too." Peter played with the strands of her red hair. "Everything'll be okay."

XoxoX

So, I played sad music while writing this chapter. I literally started crying halfway through it! I hope you guys did, too! This was a total hurt/comfort chapter, and I thought it would help to develop the storyline!

Please remember that I like reviews! : ) I like reviews _a lot_. Like A LOT a lot. Please review, I love feedback! Constructive criticism, too! Thank you so much, you amazing readers, you! If you cried, or at least _almost_ cried, please tell me! I love triggering people's emotions!


	4. The Honeymoon Phase

A/N: So this is the sequel to The Not So Many Romances of Megan Hunt! I'm amazing! You should probably read that story before you read this one, because there are spoilers for it, and a couple of references!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof, or Nic Bishop would be in season 3!

XoxoX

Chapter Three: The Honeymoon Phase

"Peter stop! Stop, I mean it! Put me down!" Megan yelled, laughing. Peter was carrying her on his shoulder through the door of their home.

He carried her into the bedroom and set her down on the bed. "There, you happy?" He chuckled.

"Not as happy as you're about to be." Megan gave him her infamous sexy eyes and pulled him on top of her.

"And how happy is that?" Peter asked, running his hand under her shirt, pushing it up her body.

"I'd say…pretty happy." She laughed, placing a hand on his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

XoxoX

"I still can't believe we're married." She said, as they lay naked on the bed. Peter stroked her back as she curled up against his body.

"I can't either."

Megan rubbed his strong chest and they lay in silence, a wonderful, peaceful feeling.

"Megan?"

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." She scooted up the bed so that they were eye-to-eye.

"Do you want to try again?" Peter looked deeply into her hazel eyes.

"What?"

"A baby. Do you want to try again?" Peter searched her eyes for an answer.

After a moment of awkward silence, Megan asked "Do you?"

"I asked you the question, Megs."

"I…I don't know. I just…think we should wait. At least a little while." Megan sighed and looked into her husband's eyes. "We only lost the baby a few months ago, Peter. I'm not ready yet."

Peter nodded. "When are we going to tell everyone? About the baby?"

Megan opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. "Never!" didn't seem like a good answer.

"What makes you think we have to?" Megan proposed.

"Megan, you still haven't even told Lacey yet. At least tell her." Peter ran his hand down the side of Megan's face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"I will. Just not today. I promise I will." Megan said.

"By next week." Peter said firmly.

Megan rolled her eyes. "When did you become my wife?"

He chuckled. "About six days ago."

"Oh, yeah. That." She laughed and leaned in to kiss him.

XoxoX

"Megan, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Peter called down the hall.

"I'm coming!" Megan let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't rush me!" she grabbed her purse off the counter and gave Peter a "happy now?" look.

"Okay. Sorry." Peter had learned from experience that, with Megan, the best option is to apologize for whatever she says you did and agree.

"Good. Now let's go, or Bud will have another tantrum."

Peter opened the door for her and locked it behind them. _I guess the honeymoon phase is over…_ Peter thought, smiling at his wife.

He just wanted to know what came next.

XoxoX

Being constantly interrupted.

That was what happened next.

In one week, he and Megan had been interrupted eleven times. Twice, Lacey called them while the couple was making out. Four times, it was Bud or Sam. Once, it was Kate, walking into Megan's office when the two had thought the entire floor was empty. And _five_ times, Ethan walked in, attempting – and failing – to silently exit.

It was frustrating. They had only been married for six months, but it felt like ages since they had sex. So, on their six month anniversary, Megan and Peter "forgot" their cell phones at work, finished their cases early, and dropped Lacey off at Todd's so they could have some alone time.

It was a miracle they didn't put a whole in the wall behind their bed. Megan and Peter spent that one night together absorbed in nothing but each other, forgetting any problems that had arisen at work, or with family.

They were just the Dunlops.

And, baby or no baby, they loved each other whole-heartedly, sharing their love together, forever.

XoxoX

I hope you liked it! If you review _a lot_, I might make the story longer, or update faster! Or (and I'm just spit-balling here!) I could do both! Anyway, I think I owe a "thank you" to you, my fantastical reader people! Yeah, it was kind of a filler chapter, but Peter wants a baby! Exciting!


	5. Pregnancy, Again!

A/N: You readers are awesome! I love you guys! So, to show you how much I love you, here is another chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof or that sort of thing.

XoxoX

Chapter Four: Pregnancy, Again

"Peter!" Megan called down the hall.

Peter ran down the hall into their bedroom. But he didn't see Megan. "Megs? Where are you?"

"In the bathroom."

He sighed. Not _this_ again…

But when he walked in, Megan was bent over the sink, eyes closed, gripping the edge of the counter.

"Megan, are you okay?" Peter stroked her back gently.

She looked up at him. Peter could see that she was holding something in her hand, but couldn't see what it was. "I'm fine. But…"

Megan showed him what she had been holding. Another pregnancy test.

"Oh my god." Peter just stared at it. "You're pregnant?"

She nodded.

He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into the air, squealing.

"That's great!" he put her down and kissed her, happy in this news.

"Yep." Megan was so nervous that she was visibly shaking. "We're having a baby."

XoxoX

"It's a girl." The doctor told the couple. The picture on the ultrasound showed the unborn child, who was wonderful and healthy.

Peter put his hand on Megan's shoulder and stared at the picture of his daughter. It was incomprehensible that he had made that little piece of life.

"I'll just give you two a moment while I get pictures printed.

"Thank you." Megan said, as the doctor left the room. She sighed and stared at the screen. Her child. Healthy and perfect.

"We should probably pick a name." Her husband said. She turned to him, startled, as she had been lost in thought.

"What?" She asked.

"A name." Peter repeated, almost stumbling over the words he had never imagined himself saying.

"Right." Megan started thinking.

"Well, how did you give Lacey her name?"

Megan smiled at the memory. "Lacey was actually supposed to be a boy." She chuckled. "So Todd and I were completely unprepared.

"But I held her, and she was so…soft and delicate." Megan paused. "Her name was the only thing Todd and I ever agreed about completely."  
"What about her middle name? Julianna?" Peter asked. He was actually kind of interested to know how his stepdaughter had been named.

(A/N: This is a reference to the original story, The Not So Many Romances of Megan Hunt! It might be easier to understand if you read chapter 4 and 6, which regard Lacey's name and birth!)

"Julia." Megan's smile faded. "When I was in high school, I had a friend named Julia. But one day, I had ended up in the hospital, and she came to see me. She gave me this little pink elephant, and we started talking. I said I might give it to my daughter one day – which I did, actually – and she asked if I would name my daughter after her."

Megan's eyes filled with sadness. "I promised I would. She was my best friend. Then, she died in a car crash a few months later." She released an ironic laugh. "She had always been a reckless driver."

Peter stroked his wife's cheek, which had a single tear running down it. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Anyway, that's how I named her." Megan met Peter's eyes for a moment. "I don't know if she'll be that easy." She ran her hand across her enlarged belly, and felt her little girl kick against it. She laughed.

"What?" Peter asked her.

"Baby kicked." She grabbed his hand and held it against her stomach so that he could feel it. The child, in turn, went into a little kickboxing frenzy, causing Megan a bit of pain. "Someone's excited."

Peter's heart got a little warmer at that moment, feeling the life that he had helped create.

"I know what we should name her." He told his wife.

She laughed. "We are not naming her Chuck Norris, if that's what you're thinking!"

He chuckled. "No, no…" Peter smiled. "We should name her after someone we know. Maybe someone at work, even."

Megan considered. "Like who?"

"Well the only girls we work with are Kate and Sam, well, and Ethan, but isn't a very feminine name."

His wife smacked him playfully on the chest. "Not nice!"

"But true." He smiled. "Really, I'm thinking Samantha Kate. It's got some meaning behind it."

She beamed at him. "Samantha Kate Dunlop. I like it. How about you?"

As if in response, the unborn child kicked once again.

"Samantha Kate it is!"

XoxoX

"So how are you feeling? You know, about getting a sister?" Megan asked her daughter (the one that had been born already).

"Pretty good." Lacey answered, setting her car keys on the counter. "I've gotta say, between getting a little sister, and my license, _and_ a car, life's been pretty sweet on me!" The sixteen year old laughed.

"Remember, any tickets and it's goodbye to driving!" Megan warned.

"I know, Mo-"

"Ahhh!" Her mother keeled over, gripping her swollen stomach. Being over eight months pregnant could do that to a person.

"Mom! Mom, what happened! Is the – " Lacey ran to her mother's side, trying to be of use in some way.

"Lacey, the baby's coming!" She wailed in pain as the pressure on her lower half elevated to such a point that Megan feared she would explode.

"Oh god!" Her eyes widened. "I'll call Peter, ask him to – "

"There's no time, you need to drive me!" Her mother nearly screamed as the pain continued to grow stronger.

"But, but the…and I just…I can't!" Lacey was freaking out. It was like asking a seven year old to file taxes – overrated and nearly impossible.

"Ahh! Lacey, please! It's not like I can hold this baby in!" Megan gripped the kitchen counter and pulled herself to her feet.

"Okay!" Lacey grabbed her mother's keys, not wanting to risk getting birthing liquids all over her new car (who wouldn't, right?) and helped her mother get in, calling her stepfather as she did.

"Peter, you need to get to the hospital _now._ Mom's gonna have the baby! I'm going to take her, just meet us there!" She hung up and started the ignition, her mother wailing in the background. She sped away – which she had promised herself she wouldn't do – and ended up getting stopped by a police officer for going the wrong way down the street.

But seeing the pregnant woman in the passenger's seat, he turned on his siren and led them to the hospital.

Lacey didn't get any tickets, thank god.

Because then she would lose her license.

Which would be bad.

XoxoX

"Shit…" Peter ran another red light with the gas pedal floored. He was not going to miss his daughter being born.

There was a blaze of honking and a few dozen people showing him a certain finger.

He turned into the hospital parking lot, parked in the emergency room area and ran into the building.

"I'm looking for Megan Dunlop, she's having a baby – "

"Oh, I know!" The officer who had been standing near the entrance said. "The redhead who came in screaming at me and called me a – "

"That's her. I'm her husband." Peter said.

"Huh." He walked over to the sign in desk and said to a woman who had just ended a call, "Hey, can you get Nurse Burke in here to take Mr. Dunlop to his wife?"

"Sure thing." She nodded, picking up the phone once again. About seven seconds later, the door opened and Peter was led through the hospital. He hated these places. They smelled like sickness and sterilized needles.

"Here we are!" The nurse said, gesturing to a room. Peter thanked her and walked in cautiously.

"Hey, babe I'm here!" He said to his wife, who had definitely looked better.

"It's about time!" She said, groaning as the baby kept trying to push out.

Megan was being instructed by a midwife who was trying to coax Megan along.

It wasn't until minutes later when a child's cry was released into the air that Megan could finally breathe.

"Good job, sweetie." Peter told his wife, who was exhausted.

Megan closed her eyes.

"Megan? Megan what – "

"Oh, no. We need to get her into the ICU, she's bleeding out!" Doctors were scrambling around.

"No, Megan!"

"Sir, you're going to have to leave."

"But – " Peter was nearly pushed out the door with no more than a glance at his newborn baby and his wife, who lay unconscious on the hospital bed.

XoxoX

Please remember that I like reviews! : ) I like reviews _a lot_. Like A LOT a lot. Please review, I love feedback! Constructive criticism, too! I actually went and saw What To Expect When You're Expecting before I wrote the story, which I stole some of the storyline from! I did a little bit of research on pregnancy, but I am still pretty clueless as to how the whole thing works. But thank you so much, you amazing readers, you! New chapters soon!


	6. Parenthood and Stuff Like That

A/N: So, I present my favorite chapter, which includes a certain mini-Megan and a certain mini-Megan-and-Peter! I hope you all enjoy this, because I definitely liked writing it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof, or else Nic Bishop would definitely be in season 3 (and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7)!

XoxoX

Chapter Five: Parenthood and Stuff Like That

"Don't worry, Lace." Peter consoled as he let Lacey cry into his shoulder. "She's going to be fine."

His stepdaughter hugged him and tried to stop all of the tears from escaping her eyes.

"What about the baby? When can we see her?" Lacey was anxious, just like her mother would have been in the situation.

"It should be soon." He consoled her, barely believing his own words. Peter had never been a particularly optimistic person when it came to things like this.

"Mr. Dunlop?" The midwife who had been helped with the birthing of the child and such walked up to them. She smiled at Lacey. "She's stable, you can come see her now."

"Oh, thank god." The half an hour had been one of the longest of Peter's life. But when he and Lacey walked in, time slowed down almost to a screeching halt.

It was like an otherworldly experience. The only thing Peter saw was his wife, holding his child, with his stepdaughter perking up at the sight as well.

Lacey was just excited to be a big sister. She had given up on any possibility of that happening when her parents divorced, but it was definitely worth the wait. She stood next to her mother's bed and just smiled at her baby sister. She was so tiny!

Peter stood beside his older daughter and gave her a side hug. "How you feeling?" He asked his wife.

"Fantastic, thanks for asking." She laughed, the child in her arms squirming at the sudden movement.

"She's so little…" Lacey said, holding her hand out and watching as the baby wrapped a tiny little hand around the sixteen year old's finger.

"I know." Megan said, smiling. "But so were you, when you were born."

"I was?" Lacey didn't know that.

"Yep." Megan held the baby out a little. "You wanna hold her?"

"Yes!" Lacey held her arms out and gently cradled the newborn child close to her, the tiny little person making a small cooing sound in response.

"What did you name her, again?" Lacey asked the parents giddily.

"Samantha Kate." They answered in unison.

Lacey smiled. "Oh, right." Lacey looked back at the baby and could feel the little heartbeat through the thin hospital blanket. "Hi, Sammie! I'm your big sister! Welcome to the outside world!"

Everyone laughed quietly.

"Can I…?" Peter gestured to Lacey, asking to hold Samantha.

"Oh, of course." She gently handed the baby off to her father.

Peter experienced another time-stopping flood of emotion. He almost couldn't comprehend the fact that he had made this little bundle of joy. "Hey, baby." He said.

His voice was soft and sweet, like none of them had ever heard before. There was a brief silence as Megan and Lacey watched the father for a moment. Lacey ended it, though, by pulling out her phone.

"One sec, let me take a picture!" She moved to the foot of the bed and aimed the camera at her mom and step dad.

Peter handed the Samantha back over to her mother, and leaned in so Lacey could photograph them.

"One, two, three, cheese!" Lacey said as she snapped the picture. She hit "Post to Facebook" and typed in the words "Mom and Peter with my new baby sister, Samantha Kate Dunlop."

It was now Facebook official.

Samantha Dunlop was the newest member of the family.

XoxoX

"It's your turn." Megan slapped Peter across the face – by accident – signaling to her husband that he needed to get his ass out of bed to get the baby. Who was crying, again. By again, I mean for the second time in that night alone.

"Uh, fine." He groaned as he sat up in bed and headed, groggily, I might add, for the baby's room.

She was in her crib, crying, as per usual. "Come on, Sammie. Mommy and Daddy need some sleep!" He told the infant, as if it might get her to be quiet.

No such luck.

He sighed and picked her up, and the three month old immediately became silent.

Peter walked into the living room, sat down on the couch and rocked his daughter back and forth, trying to make her go back to sleep.

No such luck.

Samantha remained wide awake, but silent, as she laid her tiny little body calmly against her father's strong chest.

And when Megan Dunlop woke up that next morning, they were still lying on the couch. Peter was laying down, using the armrest of the couch as a pillow, with Sammie lying on his stomach, using _her father_ as a pillow.

Megan just smiled, lifted the baby off of Peter and put little Sammie to bed.

Then Megan decided to take the child's place, and laid on top of her husband. His arm moved onto her lower back, but he didn't move in any other way.

"I love you." Megan said, knowing that Peter was awake.

"Of course you do." The father responded. "And I love you, too." Then the couple fell back asleep, the first long rest they had had in months, thanks to Samantha Kate Dunlop.

XoxoX

I hope you liked it! This was probably my favorite chapter so far! I love babies (even though I don't even have a boyfriend, much less a husband) and I liked getting a little more Lacey in the chapter! Plus, the family stuff made me all happy! And I ask that everybody will please continue reviewing! Because, you know, I'm awesome! Thank you, my fantastical reader people! More chapters up soon, I promise! (And I mean it! I _will_ update very soon! Girl Scouts honor! That's kind of a shitty promise because I wasn't a Girl Scout, but who cares? Well, besides all of the Girl Scouts, of course.)


	7. Get Priorities Straight

A/N: You readers are awesome! I love you guys! So, to show you how much I love you, here is another chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof or that sort of thing.

XoxoX

Chapter Six: Getting Priorities Straight

"No, sweetie, I can't!" Megan said into the phone.

"You said you would come!" Samantha Dunlop said into her sister's cell phone. She was only five years old, but she knew how important it was to keep a promise.

"I know, but Daddy and I are stuck at work. We'll try to make it, but I don't think we can." Megan said sadly, pulling the rubber gloves off her hands, holding the phone between her cheek and shoulder.

"Okay." The little girl said, and her mother could practically see the sadness in her daughter's face.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But how about Daddy and I take you and Lacey out for ice cream afterwards?" Megan offered, too sad about missing her youngest child's ballet recital to think about how late it would be.

"Okay." Sammie perked up a bit. She saw her big sister making the "Give it!" motion at the phone, signaling that she needed it back.

"Lacey wants the phone back. I love you, Mommy!"

"I love you, too." There was a light rustling noise over the phone as it was exchanged between hands.

"Hey, Mom." Lacey said. "So you can't make it?" The twenty year old asked, already knowing that the answer was yes.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Peter and I'll try to finish early, but Kate has us – "

"No, I get it." Lacey said. "Grandma's on her way, but we'll be fine. Sammie just wants you to be here."

Megan sighed. "I know she does. I wish I could make it, but – "

"Yeah, I know. Work, as usual." Lacey interrupted, sounding a bit angry. "Mom, I know you're trying, but Sammie misses you. A lot. Sometimes it's like you're not even there!"

Megan frowned. "Lacey, Peter and I are _both_ just – "

"You know what? It doesn't matter what you're _trying_ to do, mother! Sammie needs her parents around, especially you! If you're not going to be there for her, then something needs to change. And I don't want my baby sister to suffer because _you_ are too busy to pay attention to her."

Then she hung up.

Megan sat down in her office chair and buried her head in her arms. Lacey had never spoken to her like that.

But the twenty year old was right.

Megan couldn't keep missing everything in Sammie's life because of work. Then Peter walked in.

"So, you called Lacey to tell her we couldn't make it." He assumed from his wife's posture.

"Yep." Megan looked up at him. "And she got angry because I'm not present enough in Sammie's life, so now she's, and I quote, 'suffering because I'm too busy to pay attention.'"

Peter nodded. He threw the case file he had planned on sharing with his wife onto the desk and grabbed her by the arm.

"You know what?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before responding to his own question. "Screw this. We're going to that recital and we're going to see our little girl dance her little heart out."

"But this case is – "

"Not as important." Peter finished for her. "Screw this case, screw all of it! You know what, I say we quit!" He announced.

"We can't just quit, Peter." She said.

"Then _you_ should quit, at least. You let work get in the way of your relationship with Lacey. Do you want that to happen again?" Peter asked.

"No, but – "

"Megs, let's go. Don't let work get in the way again."

She thought hard for a moment before grabbing her purse and storming out.

Kate was going to have a fit later, but who cared? A five year old dancing goose was _much _more important.

XoxoX

"Megan, this is ridiculous!" Peter yelled at his wife.

"No, it's not! Peter, I'm sick of this! You act like I'm _trying_ to ruin your life! I ask you do _one_ thing, and you can't even accomplish that!"

"Megan, I have to work! I'm _trying_ to do what you want, but it's not like I can drop everything I'm doing to make you happy!"

Now that Megan had resigned from work at the M.E.'s office, Peter was the sole source of income for their family. Megan had grown tired of waiting for him to come home from work just to get a break. Megan had only stopped working two months earlier, but she had had enough.

"You could make the _slightest_ attempt to show up and tell your daughter good night before ten!" She yelled back.

"I've…" Peter went silent.

They both listened for a moment. Because through the yelling and the screaming, neither had noticed the soft, sad whimpering that was coming from the hallway. They turned and saw Sammie, holding a stuffed bunny like her life depended on it, and letting silent tears fall down her little face. Her big hazel eyes, which normally lit up when her Daddy was home, were red and puffy. Her parents' hearts both dropped. How could they argue like this? Seeing the kindergartener crying at their argument, getting tear stains all over her pink footy pajamas, with her long blond curls matted with bedhead, all anger in the room died down.

"Oh, Sammie…" Megan walked over to the little girl and hugged her. "I'm so sorry!"

"I'm sorry, too. Peter knelt beside them and brushed the hair away from his daughter's face.

"I don't like it when you fight." Samantha said, tears continuing to fall.

"We don't like fighting either, sweetie. We were just upset." Megan consoled the child.

"Why?" Sammie asked innocently.

"Because I don't see you as much as I'd like to." Her father answered, picking up the little girl and carrying her back to her bedroom.

"I love you, Daddy." Sammie said, yawning while trying to rub the sleep from her eyes, which were wet from the tears.

"I love you too, baby." He pulled her blanket up to cover her as she fell asleep.

Peter tip-toed out the room and closed the door softly.

Megan crossed her arms and they stood awkwardly in the hallway. "I'm sorry." She said finally.

"Me, too." He admitted, pulling his wife in for a hug.

XoxoX

Please remember that I like reviews! : ) I like reviews _a lot_. Like A LOT a lot. Thank you again for reading! I love family chapters! And I enjoyed making Lacey angry at her mom, you know, for being a work-obsessed nutcase.


	8. Loss

A/N: Another chapter! You are now free to bask in my glory!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof, or else Nic Bishop would definitely be in season 3 (and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7)!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A CHARACTER DEATH, SO DON'T HATE ME, BECAUSE I WARNED YOU!

XoxoX

Chapter Seven: Loss

Joan Hunt was eighty three years old when she died. It happened on June 19th, two days before Sammie's 9th birthday.

Megan had gone last-minute shopping for her birthday present. Joan, being eighty three, had offered to take care of the little girl, since Lacey was working that day.

Sammie had been making a valiant attempt to draw every single detail of her lunch using only crayons, when there came a crash from the kitchen. Sammie got up from the table, grabbed half of her sandwich, being too lazy to draw it, and headed for the kitchen.

"Gramma?" She said through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.

Samantha Dunlop was not a particularly active person. She liked reading and art, but the only time she was ever hyper was when on a sugar rush. But when she walked into the kitchen, half eaten sandwich in hand, she sped up as time stood still.

Joan Hunt was trying to hold herself up using the kitchen sink for support. She gasped for air and clutched at her left arm as she sunk to the floor, pain in her chest nearly causing her to black out.

"Grandma!" Sammie dropped her lunch on the ground and ran to her grandmother's side. She was so confused. "What's going on?"

Joan tried to speak, but the only words that escaped her lips were. "Call…hell…"

Sammie assumed that meant "Call help!" and nodded furiously, running for the living room. She picked up her grandmother's cell phone. Who should she call? Her teacher said that, when there's an emergency, you should always call 911. But Sammie never listened to her teacher, she just sat in the corner and used marker to draw stick-figure animals on her hands. So she dialed her mother's number – she had taught herself a little song to remember it – and listened to it ring. Once, twice, three times before Megan picked up.

"Mother, what – "

"Mom, something happened to Grandma! She was in the kitchen and she fell, I think she hurt her arm. She told me to call help." She explained.

"Oh my god. Sammie, was Grandma holding her left arm or her right one?" Megan asked, dropping the toy she had been looking at buying.

"Which one is left, again?" Sammie was only eight years old with a short attention span, so things like that were hard for her to remember.

"You write with your right hand." Megan explained.

"Oh, it was her left."

"Okay, Sammie. Hold on, I'm on my way home right now. Megan forgot about shopping, grabbed her purse and nearly ran for the toy store exit, high heels not really helping in this mission. "Sweetie, you need to listen to me. Look in the cabinet in the bathroom and get out the bottle that says 'aspirin' on it."

"But you said not to touch any – "

"Samantha Dunlop, I know what I said! Listen to what I'm telling you _now_!" She yelled, opening her car door and putting the key in the ignition.

"Okay." Sammie ran for the bathroom and swung open the medicine cabinet. She tried to sound out the word "aspirin" as she went, trying to figure out which bottle was which. According to her third grade spelling abilities, it would be spelt A-Z-P-R-E-N. But, upon not finding such a thing, she asked her mother "How do you spell it?"

"A-S-P-I-R-I-N, it's on the bottom shelf. Sammie, you need to be fast!"

"Oh, I got it! What do I do now?" the eight year old asked, closing the cabinet and shaking the little white bottle.

"Take out two tablets and give them to Grandma." Megan cursed into the phone – which she regretted later – as the traffic light turned from green to red and about six dozen trucks – apparently driven by morons who didn't know how to accelerate – drove into the intersection.

Sammie put down the phone as she tried to open the bottle she kept twisting the cap, but nothing happened. "It won't open!" She told the phone.

"Line up the arrows on the side of the lid, then flip the cap up." Megan instructed.

"Oh, I got it." Sammie said. You learn something new every day!

Sammie ran into the kitchen and handed two pills to her grandmother, who didn't respond. "Grandma, Mom said to give you this." She explained.

Joan's eyes opened a bit, then closed again.

"Grandma, wake up!" Sammie shook Joan's shoulder. "Grandma!"

XoxoX

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Megan had said those words hundreds of times. It had been to families and friends of victims, but she hated when people said it to her.

She had never realized how hollow the words were. Of course everyone was sorry, but she didn't _feel_ like they were. It was just a line in a script that every doctor is given.

Megan had heard those words too many times. When her father died, she had heard them. When Dani died, she had heard them. When her unborn child died, she had heard them.

And she heard them when her mother died.

It was probably one of the worst days of her life. Over many years, Megan had started to grow closer to Joan. They were even friendly, on occasion. But knowing that Sammie had been in the room, watching Joan Hunt die slowly from a heart attack was the worst feeling Megan had ever felt.

It was loss, grief, anger, resentment and guilt all piled into one.

Two nights after Joan's death, Megan sat down with her daughter. "Hey, baby." She had said, sitting next to the girl on her twin size bed. Sammie hugged her favorite stuffed rabbit and looked up at her mother.

"Hi, Mom." Samantha had grown out of calling her "Mommy." She had already finished the third grade, she was practically old enough to drive.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Megan asked.

"Okay." Sammie sat up, pulling the bright pink comforter up to her chest.

"I just want to know how you've been feeling since Grandma died." She said, brushing a long blond curl from her daughter's face.

"Okay, I guess." Samantha said.

"Are you sure?" Megan asked.

Sammie paused. "Yeah, I just miss her is all."

"Me, too, sweetie. Me, too."

XoxoX

I'm evil! I can't believe I actually did that to little Sammie…I hope you liked it! Thank you, my fantastical reader people! So this was my first character death! So… sorry, I guess! I just wanted something sad to happen. So…yeah.


	9. Grandparenthood

A/N: You readers are awesome! I love you guys! So, to show you how much I love you, here is another chapter! It's one of my best chapters! It has lots and lots of Lacey! I love Lacey. She's so young and naïve!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof or that sort of thing.

XoxoX

Chapter Eight: Grandparenthood

"Lacey's here!" Sammie jumped up from the table and ran to the door. She opened it and tackled the person who had rung the doorbell.

"Waaahh!" The man said as he was knocked over unexpectedly by a strange ten year old girl.

"Sammie, what are you doing?" Lacey asked her little sister.

_God, you move across town and suddenly your sister is in the 'tackle everybody' phase. _Lacey thought, pulling Sammie to her feet and hugging her. "Hey, squirt!" She said.

"Hi, Lacey!" Sammie said excitedly. Then she wriggled her way out of her sister's arms and looked at the man on the ground. "Who's that?"

"I'm Josh." He grunted, pulling himself to his feet. He had short, dark brown hair and green eyes, definitely not bad looking. To Sammie's eleven year old mind, Josh was a hunk!

"Yeah." Lacey agreed. "Where's Mom and Peter?"

"In the kitchen." Sammie answered, spitting a little as she spoke. Her two missing teeth made that happen a lot.

"Okay, thanks. Let's go inside." Lacey ushered her sister, followed by Josh, inside the house.

"Hey, Lace…" Megan trailed off as she noticed the man standing behind her daughter. "Why, hello." She said awkwardly.

There was an awkward silence. "Who's your friend?" Peter asked, jaw locked. He was calculating the closest weapon of torture.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Dunlop. I'm Josh." He held out a hand for Peter to shake.

Peter, instead, gave him the glare of promise. Promising unending physical pain.

Josh held his hand out to Megan, who hesitantly shook it. So Thanksgiving dinner was pretty awkward. Afterwards, Megan, Lacey and Sammie were all in the kitchen doing dishes (or in Sammie's case, eating seconds of dessert). Megan and Lacey talked, mostly.

"So, what do you think of Josh?" Lacey asked.

"He seems nice." Megan answered in the awkwardness.

"No, seriously, Mom!" She said. Lacey was twenty seven years old, and thought it was time to be completely serious.

"He's nice." Megan repeated. "I like him."

The conversation in the living room was even more awkward. Peter sat down with Josh and cleaned his old Glock as he talked, scaring the piss out of Josh.

"So, tell me a little about yourself, Josh." Peter said, cocking his gun, pointing it a little too close to Josh's head.

"Well...umm…I'm working as an assistant at a local law firm." He answered nervously.

"You want to be a lawyer?" Peter asked.

"Y-yes, sir." Josh stuttered as Peter wiped out the barrel of his gun.

Peter nodded. "Respectable profession. What about Lacey?"

"I'm sorry?" Josh raised his eyebrows.

"You and Lacey. Where do you stand?"

"You mean, in our relationship?" Josh asked. "Uh, great, actually. She's an amazing girl," Peter examined his full magazine intently, hoping to strike as much fear in the young man as possible. "and I love being around her.

"And there was something very important I'd like to ask you, sir." Josh leaned in, ignoring his fear of being shot in the forehead.

"I'm listening." Peter set the Glock on the coffee table.

"I really love Lacey. And I've talked to her father already about this, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you, too."

"Spit it out." Peter said.

"I'd like your permission to ask Lacey to marry me." Josh said in one breath. He braces himself for the gunfire, but none came.

Peter held his jaw. "Huh." Was all he said.

"I've been dating her for almost a year now, and I wanted to get your permission before I, you know…take the next step." Josh continued.

"Well, I gotta say," Peter sighed. "I'm glad you had the decency to ask first."

Josh waited for the 'but…"

"Before I answer, I have one quick question for you." Peter told Josh.

Josh leaned in.

"Say I had to break every bone in your body," Peter began. "what would you want broken first?"

Josh swallowed. "My neck, because then I wouldn't have to feel the pain from getting the other 205 bones broken."

"Good answer." Peter slung an arm over Josh's shoulders. "You have my permission."

Josh was about to jump up when Peter gripped his collarbone like a vice. "But you harm Lacey in any way, I'll make sure your neck gets broken last. Got it?"

Josh nodded.

"Good boy. Now let's go finish cleaning up."

XoxoX

"We're pregnant." Lacey announced. Sammie, being thirteen, nearly choked on the chicken she had been eating.

Josh and Lacey had been married for just over a year, and were already expecting.

"You mean, like, with a baby?" Sammie asked, finally managing to swallow the food.

"Yeah." Lacey answered. Lacey's birthday party had taken an awkward turn with this announcement. Peter gripped the steak knife in his hands and got an evil look in his eyes, all too familiar to Josh.

"Wow." Megan said in the silence.

Wow, indeed!

XoxoX

"Mom, what do I do?" Lacey wept, the baby boy screaming in her arms.

"Here, let me take him." Megan offered, holding her arms out for the child. Lacey was thirty years old, but looked even older from the sleep she had been missing thanks to baby Jacob.

"God, Mom. I don't know how much longer I can do this!" Lacey flopped down on the couch, the best feeling she had had in weeks.

"It gets better, I promise." Megan told her daughter, bouncing her grandson up and down gently.

"I'm going to need your help." Lacey admitted. "Like, a lot."

Megan smiled. "I know you will. But you're perfectly capable of being a grown up on your own."

"Thanks." Lacey smiled.

"Now, I'll keep Jacob quiet. You can get some sleep."

"Thank you _so_ much, Mom!" Lacey nearly started crying. And within minutes, she was fast asleep on the sofa.

Jacob remained silent throughout the night. Megan and Peter still couldn't believe the fact that they were grandparents. They were so old!

XoxoX

Please remember that I like reviews! : ) I like reviews _a lot_. Like A LOT a lot. Thank you again for reading! I love family chapters! And I enjoyed giving Lacey a husband and such.

By the way, I still need a LOT of reviews before I update Lifeguard, Deathguard! I'll even be nice and change my demands to 114 reviews : ) That's less than 115!


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